NEARLY 2,000 trouble-makers in Warwickshire have been hit with on-the-spot fines in the past three years.

It works out at about two fines every day.

The louts have been given #80 or #40 fines for drunkenness and bad behaviour.

The Telegraph can reveal that police have handed out 1,980 fixed penalty notices for bad behaviour in public, ranging from drunk and disorderly acts, criminal damage or wasting police time.

Of those, nearly half, 983 fines, have been for causing harassment, alarm or distress.

The fines are also used in conjunction with orders banning drunks from the town centre, either on a short-term basis or for longer periods.

Warwickshire Police has hailed fines for misbehaviour as a success.

But councillor Bernard Kirton (Ind, Whitnash) said there had been no noticeable reduction in yobbish behaviour.

He said: "I am fully in favour of this in principle. But over-indulgence in booze and the effect that has seems to be endemic in Leamington and it has not seemed to have altered or reduced the need for considerable policing late in the evening."

Warwickshire Police spokeswoman Cathy Ward said the fines were just one more weapon in the police's armoury. She said handing out tickets freed up the time of police officers and the courts.

She said: "This type of behaviour can seriously effect the quality of lives in our communities.

"Fixed penalty notices are an effective way of dealing with people as officers can be released more quickly to frontline duties and reduces delays in the courts.

"It is important that the public understand existing ways of dealing with offenders has not changed.

"The option of issuing a penalty notice is in addition to the issuing of summons, charge or caution."